The Life and Lies of Jennifer Cotton
by Nina PC
Summary: 1979: Voldemort controls the wizarding world and everyone has to pay a certain price. Jennifer is a young witch who loves writing. She gets a great idea for a story, but she has to risk everything and everyone she loves to write it.


**Disclaimer: **J. K. Rowling owns all recognisable characters from the Harry Potter books. I own Jennifer Cotton and Oliver Brown.

**Note: **I try to stay as true and loyal to the books as possible, but I allow myself to make minor changes, so it all makes sense. To me at least.

* * *

The Life and Lies of Jennifer Cotton

**Chapter 1**

**Proposal, break-up and reunion **

Summer of 1979

She stared into his beautiful eyes. They were a mix of green and grey and looked perfectly well with his slightly tanned skin. His brown hair had grown a bit this summer and now covered his forehead completely. He was looking back into her own brown eyes, probably waiting for a positive answer, but she was numb. She'd somehow wish she could say something. She would have said something beautiful, like he had done. Something poetic maybe. But instead she felt the tears running out from her eyes, and all she could do was to embrace him. It was perhaps the happiest moment she had ever experienced, but she couldn't say a word. It was impossible. He grasped her shoulders and pushed her back. He was looking intensely at her. He wasn't angry, but seemed disappointed.

"Well? Aren't you going to talk at all?" he said nervously and accidentally shook a bit. He didn't mean to. Jennifer opened her mouth to speak, but only primitive, meaningless sounds came out, so instead she held out her hand, smiling. The speed of his breathing increased and he smiled back at her. "Really?" he asked in a whisper. She nodded, grinning. He grinned too, and swung his wand to make a ring appear in his hand. He put it on her finger and gently closed his own hand around hers.

"So you aren't going to talk, I suppose?" he asked.

"Oliver... I'm... This is amazing. I can't find any words to say to you," Jennifer said, a bit surprised her voice had returned.

"You don't have to say anything but 'I do'," he said and smiled warmly at her confused face.

"Hmm, well, I do want to marry you, Oliver. But when? It's dangerous out there."

His smile faded away and instead he had a grave look in his eyes now.

"This might be the only time," he said darkly and looked truthfully at her.

"You... think that we are in danger too?" Jennifer asked, shocked.

He didn't reply, but just shook his head at himself like he had said something ridiculous, but they both knew there was a threat. Even for those who didn't participate in the battles. Jennifer knew he had risked a lot to ask her to marry him. She was after all only half-blood. Her mother was just a muggle. Oh, God, she didn't want anyone to be hurt because of her. She opened her mouth, but Oliver seemed to know what she was about to say and spoke first, "It's alright. It's not important for the Dark Lord. Rumour has it, he's half-blood."

She stared into space for a few minutes to encourage herself to say something, but she couldn't find words. "Jen. Speak to me, Jen. Say anything." Jennifer looked briefly at her fiancé, and then she burst into tears.

The next morning

"Jennifer, I'm happy for you, but this means it's, well, permanent... I jut never expected that it would last, sorry-"

"We're not married yet, Lily. Please, listen to me! He isn't like you say he is. You're making him look like a bad guy, and-"

"And he is! You know his interests! Why are you covering for him?" Lily asked, looking at Jennifer, angry and scared at the same time.

"Why are you saying all this stuff about him? I've dated him since my 6th year at Hogwarts - that's longer than you and James!"

"Why do think I'm saying it?! You know he's been dying to become a Dark wizard since he was a kid!"

"Well... How do you know all this anyway?" Jen said, getting upset. She had invited her old friend, Lily Evans to tell her the great news, but it didn't go quite as expected.

"Uhm, well... I was told by... someone."

"Oh, I see," Jen said, smiling slyly.

"No, Jen, wait... I - I'm sorry."

"Lily, dear, I'm sorry too, but if you can't trust my husband, then you're unable to trust me too."

"I really can't trust Oliver," Lily said sadly.

"Then it is goodbye, I guess. Say hello, or goodbye if you wish, to James from me. It was nice being your friend, I guess. Have a nice life. Oh, and by the way, just because Dumbledore hasn't 'invited' me to one of his infamous tea sessions it doesn't mean I am You-Know-Who's little rat!"

"What? You think this is about The Order?" Lily said. She had lowered her voice a bit, but was looking straight into her eyes.

"I know exactly _who_ this is about. And his name is not Dumbledore."

Lily looked somehow offended that Jen had said this, turned on her heel and left the house. Jennifer stared at the door for several minutes, almost waiting for her to come back, but nothing happened. She had tears in her eyes; she knew this was really the end of a long, strong friendship. She had gone to school with Lily and had become one of her very good friends.

She had thought of this before she started seeing Oliver. At the time he had just graduated, and she was in her sixth year, still just sixteen years old - yet she felt much older now, only three years later. The first time she noticed Oliver was in her fifth year at Christmastime. They were both staying at Hogwarts for Christmas and shared a kiss underneath mistletoe, but Jennifer had never imagined getting married with this guy.

Through almost all of her Hogwarts years she had always seen Oliver as a typical Slytherin student; mean and obsessed with Dark Arts. He would have been one of those perfect victims for that Lord Voldemort who had huge power nowadays, but instead he went to Gringotts to study economics. He was still there, now fulfilling a job. Oliver hadn't really mentioned his old passion for Dark Arts, though Jennifer knew he used to be very interested in it.

But once the two of them were a couple it was not like people had said. Oliver was not evil nor did he support Voldemort by participating in the horrifying slaughters - he didn't even seem to agree with his actions. He seemed to be disgusted by all these events, and Jennifer could not believe why people wouldn't see it.

About six o' clock that night Oliver entered the kitchen, smiling at his fiancé, and the first thing he did was to go to her and kiss her softly on the lips. Jen wondered how she would tell him about Lily. Maybe she shouldn't. It was going to hurt his feelings, even though he would say it didn't. But should that make her lie, or just avoid the truth? She couldn't do that to him either.

"I invited Lily today - to tell her about our engagement," she said as they sat down to have dinner. Jennifer didn't eat anything; she just looked at Oliver.

"Oh? How lovely. What did she say?" he asked cheerfully.

"Well, actually, she wasn't too happy about it. She thinks you're too attracted to the Dark Arts..."

"What?!" he burst out, clearly feeling accused. "I quit that a long time ago! I mean, honestly, that was a thing in my young teen years!"

"I know, Oliver. And I believe you, isn't that the most important thing?" she said hopefully and stretched out her hand, but he didn't grab it. He shook his head, looking down, murmuring.

"It was mistake... important link... losing Dumbledore's trust."

"Oliver, it's alright. I think we should just have a conversation with Dumbledore about it, then. He'll understand. I know he will."

"Oh, please, Jen, come to your senses! You think Lily would possibly have any doubt if Dumbledore trusted me?" he shouted.

"I was only trying to..."

"Help? Yeah, well, you kinda didn't!"

"I knew I shouldn't have told you this," Jennifer said quietly.

"Were you considering not to?"

"Of course. This is the reaction I get, not the one I want!"

"But the one you could expect," he said loudly, and she knew he was right. She kept quiet for some time.

"I need to know where you stand, Oliver. Honestly, truthfully. No lies. I don't want you to make me happy if you're lying to me. I just want the truth about all of this."

"I have no interest in The Dark Lord or any of his doings. I feel ashamed that I have shared his Hogwarts house, but you know what, Slytherin students don't _have _to be all bad because of that, Jen. They really don't. I have no intentions of going that way. I have great job in Gringotts. It's challenging enough for me."

Jennifer smiled at him. He looked back at her, his mouth slightly open and his eyes were staring into hers, searching them for a translation of the smile. She noticed glimpsing pearls of sweat on his forehead. "Thank you, Oliver. I believe in you," she then said.

Oliver, however, did not seem convinced and went to bed after helping with cleaning the kitchen. Jennifer felt sad and alone, as she stared out of the window. Even though she had expected a dramatic reaction from Oliver she hadn't expected that she would be blamed. Lily had always stepped away from people who were attracted to the Dark Arts, but she would always give them a chance first. Jennifer knew that Lily's patience had run out on her and they would probably never speak again.

"Dumbledore," she whispered. It was the only way. If she could convince Albus Dumbledore, she could convince Lily. There was nothing wrong with Oliver. He was all over that. He said so himself, and Jennifer would have to trust him.

The next morning she said goodbye to Oliver, as he went to work and five minutes later, she Apparated herself to the Leaky Cauldron in London. Jennifer went straight to the toothless barman Tom who was the new owner and ordered a Firewhisky.

"Quite a strong drink for such a young lady like yourself, eh?" said Tom jokingly as she paid him. Jennifer merely forced herself to smile and went to a table in the corner with today's issue of The Daily Prophet. She drank a few gulps of her drink, but almost choked when she heard a familiar voice as someone entered the bar.

"Tom, bring some today's specialities to my table, will you? For _two_," he added, though in a somewhat slow voice. The black hair was framing his young face like curtains, and his dark eyes were gleaming as he noticed Jennifer. "Oh, dear," he mumbled regrettably. Jennifer heard the tone in his voice; nevertheless she stood up and joined him at his table. "Severus Snape," she said. He snorted, clearly disturbed by her presence.

"I was hoping to meet someone, and you are sort of-"

"Oh, I do not wish to bother you too much, Severus," said Jennifer.

"Oh, but you already have," Snape replied sarcastically.

"Then I see no point in stopping now," she said blankly. Snape went silent and merely glanced out the dusty window.

"I thought so," Jennifer smiled. Snape did not smile back.

"What do you want?" he snarled.

"I was wondering what has become of you, Severus. Seeing as we went to school together, it is only proper-"

But Snape interrupted, "How dare you? How dare you tell me what's proper? You are nothing but a Mudblood-lover. I absolutely disgust you."

"I am not the Mudblood-lover at this table," replied Jennifer, and it seemed to shut him up for a minute, but then he spoke again, "Well, anyway, it is only _proper _to congratulate you with your engagement to a _proper _wizard."

"Thanks- wait, how do you know about that?"

"I have _proper _connections, I suppose. Unlike you," he said, now smiling grimly of her lack of knowledge. After a few minutes he added, "Oliver told me."

Jennifer was just about to ask him about these news when a hooded person entered the inn. "Oi, you. Hoods off in my pub, eh!" shouted Tom, but the hooded figure merely drew his or her wand and muttered "Silencio!" "Took you longer than expected," Snape said, suddenly looking stressed. "Well, you weren't lonely, it seems," the man underneath the hood said. "This is Jennifer Cotton, a mediocre witch... She was just leaving. She knows where to reach me," Snape said and glanced at Jennifer, and she knew there was no use. Snape wasn't going to tell her any more.

As she entered Oliver's and her house she decided not to mention her little trip to him. He was not going to be home for hours, but as she took off her outdoor cloak she saw an old owl, sitting on the table with a letter addressed to her. She rushed to get the letter off the owl's leg and tore it open.

_Dear miss Cotton_

_I was pleased to hear about your engagement to Oliver Brown this morning. Lily Potter told me about it. I do not share her dislike for Mr Brown; do not worry. However, be careful who you put your trust in these days. _

_Lord Voldemort is on top, as you surely know, spreading despair and pain wherever he goes. I do not suspect your dear fiancé of anything, but I plead you to understand the importance of fighting this so-called Dark Lord and must beg you to tell me if you have the least of worries about someone. _

_I cannot, unfortunately, include you or your coming husband in my special Order. I am sincerely sad about this, but looking at your fiancé's records - well, they speak for themselves._

_I know you have nothing to do with this, miss Cotton, I do believe in you, but knowing that Mr Brown hasn't completely cut off his link to Severus Snape and other people we know have become Death Eaters I simply cannot accept you either._

_However, love is always welcome in my book, as you must know. This is the tool we must use against the Dark powers, which are amongst us. That you are going to enjoy the wonderful treasure of marriage and love is for me the greatest thing. I persuaded Lily and James Potter to put their trust in you. James seemed to be willing to this, very much, seeing you are his old childhood-acquaintance. Lily agreed as well after talking it through with me a couple of times. Neither will accept your choice of husband, which is understandable of course; they were never really friendly to old Slytherin students, were they?_

_I wish you the best of luck with your love, life and marriage. I hope you will think about your choice at least once more, since you would be a perfect link for the Order, but if you choose love, it would be just as merry to me, we need love in this world._

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

Jennifer reread the letter a couple of times. Dumbledore was warning her about Oliver, she knew it. Although, she wanted to participate in the wizard wars, she did not want to give up her life for it. She loved Oliver. She couldn't just drop him, because other people did not approve of him. They only knew him for what he had been at school. True, he had been quite obsessed with the Dark Arts and the rule of Lord Voldemort, but he had been fifteen years old or so. It was only natural to be attracted to people who had success, and Voldemort sure had.


End file.
